Tzu Chi Builds Temporary Classrooms for Earthquake Survivors

Volunteers in southern Taiwan are building 15 temporary classrooms for students whose school was badly damaged by an earthquake last month. They are careful to use materials that can be used again after the classrooms are dismantled.

In early March, Yujing Junior High School was hit by the quake, which registered 6.4 on the Richter scale. It rendered the classrooms unusable. So, to give the pupils a safe place to continue their studies, the volunteers are building 15 temporary structures. “We plan two buildings here,” said volunteer Lan Yixiong. “One will house eight classrooms and the other seven. Each room is 8.3 meters long and five meters wide.

It is important that we are very accurate and precise in our work.” The steels are being provided by a generous supplier at no cost. One important consideration is that the materials can be recycled; for this, the workers use special construction techniques.

"In these prefabricated structures, we make sure no materials are wasted,” said volunteer Wang Weizhou. “Since the 9.21 earthquake (in Taiwan in September 1999), we have recycled over 90 per cent of the structures we have used. We treasure every resource.” The temporary classrooms will soon be completed; teachers and students will be able to attend classes without worrying about their personal safety.